Cedar Mill Group

For more than 30 years, Cedar Mill Group has thrived by being systems driven. “We have systems for virtually everything,” President Geoff Martin says, noting that this includes how it involves the clients in its projects. “We want them to be involved just as much as they want to be involved,” he says. “Some want to be hands-off, and some want to be in the thick of it on a daily basis. We welcome that.”

Based in Webster, N.H., Cedar Mill Group specializes in custom homebuilding, remodeling and design/build services. Martin co-founded the company in November 1987. But after buying out his former partner in 2007, he rebranded it with the Cedar Mill Group name. Today, the company primarily serves clients in the Lakes Region and Central and Southern New Hampshire and stands as a leader in its market. “We’re consistently invited to look at projects with any of the other four companies in our market area,” Martin says.

Earning Loyalty

For the last two years, Cedar Mill Group’s top sources of business have been repeat clients and referrals. In fact, some customers have celebrated with the company after their projects were finished. In the last year and a half, Cedar Mill Group completed three projects back to back where the owners invited its employees and their families to their homes. “They cooked and provided a whole party for my staff,” Martin recalls. “That’s not typical in this industry.”

When another client passed away, Martin was asked to speak at her funeral service. “She told her husband that she wanted me to do her eulogy,” he recalls. “It was an honor and a privilege.” Director of Operations Nicholas M. Colarusso says the company has earned this favoritism due to the way it works with clients. “We have a focus on the attention to detail and relationships that are created throughout the business,” he says. “We obviously care about the finished product, but we also care how we get there.”

Not only do Cedar Mill Group’s associates make themselves approachable to customers, but they also keep the client updated on their project through Buildertrend software. “It allows you to have everything in one spot where everyone’s looking at the same thing,” he says. Martin adds that its trade partners also have access to the system, allowing them to adjust their schedules and submit invoices to the company. “That’s one of the ways that we have developed a high degree of loyalty,” he says.

Exciting Work

Martin is proud of the team he has assembled at Cedar Mill Group. This includes two lead carpenters, an office manager and trade partners who have worked alongside him for at least 19 years. “We have a great team of people who are very respectful and [have] a high level of character,” he says.

After more than three decades of working in the industry, “I’m more excited that I’ve ever been,” Martin says. “The time is rich with opportunities!” This has put Cedar Mill Group in a position where it can be more selective with the projects it takes on. “We have experienced that in the last two years,” he says. But, he admits, another industry downturn is inevitable. “It will come again at some point,” Martin says, noting that he is confident that Cedar Mill Group will be able to cope. “The strong will survive and thrive, and we’ll have that opportunity in the marketplace.”